Appalachian Regional Healthcare System is making the difficult decision to close the Paul H. Broyhill Wellness Center effective March 17, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. The decision was made given the extraordinary events of the past few days, including the president’s recent recommendation that all gatherings should be limited to no more than ten people.
The Wellness Center will remain closed for at least two weeks, at which time we will reevaluate the situation. Member billing will be adjusted for this period of closure, and any applicable late fees will be waived for the month of March.
We understand that the Wellness Center is an integral part of many people’s daily lives and routines. During this unprecedented time, we feel that this closure is a necessary step in ARHS’s efforts to flatten the curve and reduce the impact of the COVID-19 virus.
Due to medical necessity, patients will still have the option to receive physical therapy and occupational therapy services at The Rehabilitation Center. For more information about The Rehabilitation Center, please call (828) 268-9043.
Thank you for your patience as we work together to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep our community safe.
For questions regarding closure of the Paul H. Broyhill Wellness Center, please call 828-266-1060.
For more information about the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System’s response to COVID-19, visit apprhs.org/COVID19 .
Added sugars, which are essentially extra calories with no extra nutrition, are found in many prepackaged and processed foods. High levels of added sugar can lead to weight gain and other health complications. Many foods, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy, naturally contain sugar. However, these foods also contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients to nourish your body, making them a better choice over added sugars. Here are 9 tips for cutting down on added sugars to improve your health and maintain a healthy weight.
- Cut out table sugar including syrup, honey, and molasses. Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add to things like cereal or coffee by half and wean down from there.
- Swap out the soda. Try swapping out your soda for sparkling water or green tea, or try cutting down on your usual number of sodas per day.
- Eat fresh, frozen, dried or canned fruits in water or natural juice. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup. Drain and rinse in a colander to remove excess syrup or juice.
- Compare food labels and choose products with the lowest amounts of added sugars. Dairy and fruit products will contain some natural sugars. Added sugars can be identified in the ingredients list.
- Add fruit. Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, try fresh fruit (bananas, cherries or strawberries) or dried fruit (raisins, cranberries or apricots).
- Cut back on serving size. When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to one-half. Often, you won’t notice the difference.
- Try extracts. Instead of adding sugar in recipes, use extracts like almond, vanilla, orange or lemon to add flavor.
- Replace sugar completely. Enhance foods with spices instead of sugar. Try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Substitute. Switch out sugar with unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas in recipes (use equal amounts).
by Abby Wilkerson
By Horton Doughton, MS, CSCS, Fitness Leader
The holiday season is upon us! It is a time of celebration, a time of thankfulness, and a time of merrymaking. With all the food, fun and friends, surrounding us this time of year it can be difficult to find time to go to the gym and exercise. However, that is not necessarily a problem. There are a great many things one can do at home in order to stay fit, even if you are pressed for time. Let’s discuss a few together.
1. Walking
Walking can be a great way to burn some calories when on a trip seeing family or friends. Just get those feet moving one in front of the other, go to a place, and then come back! It really is that simple. It can also provide an opportunity for conversations. Staying at home? That’s fine too. Simply take a few laps around the house for some extra activity.
2. Taking the Stairs
Pressed for time? It’s cold outside? Don’t know what to do? There is a solution: go up and down the stairs. Yes, that’s right. Stair climbing can be a super great way to get exercise and strengthen your legs. All you have to do is go up and down the stairs for a while and you will be worn out in no time! Make sure to hold onto the railing – slipping is not fun.
3. Picking Stuff Up
Turkeys, boxes, bikes, bags, cans…the world is full of heavy things and we can pick them up! Just grab something and lift it off of the ground. Then, put it back down again. Now, pick it up again. See, wasn’t that great? You can use this tried-and-true technique to strengthen your legs, back, arms…just about everything. Try lifting those cans of green beans over your head a few times. Grab that box in the living room and hoist it to the hip(with proper form, of course). The world is your weight room, and there is no shortage of challenges.
4. Jogging in Place
Watching TV? Why not make things more exciting by getting those feet moving? Keep enjoying your favorite holiday programming, just stand up and pump those legs. It really adds up!
5. Doing Push-ups
Have a spare 30 seconds? I did. I just paused from writing this article to do some push-ups. (I really did! Just ask me.) You too can do the same! Take a minute and challenge yourself with a pushing task. You can even do it with family and friends. Do push-ups on a counter, on the floor, on the bed… the options are limitless.
6. Sitting down and getting up
We’ve all done it before: sitting. At some point, we will have to stand up again. So, why not right now? If we simply shrink the time between sitting down and standing up to just a second or two, we can suddenly have a super fun workout we can take anywhere! It does not have to be long. Just sit down and stand up repeatedly for a minute and you will feel the fun!
7. Dancing
The Holidays are full of music, and that is a good thing. It is easy to feel the rhythm and excitement in the air from our favorite melodies. So, why not get moving to the sound of the beat? Stand up, move those feet, and suddenly you are getting some great exercise and having tons of fun in the process.
8. Shoveling Snow
Winter weather may grace our doors this year, and that is great news. It means you have your very own customized workout delivered right to your door! Grab that snow shovel and dig our way out. You will work up a sweat in no time while performing this super fun, and very practical, task.
Closing thoughts
The Holidays can create many barriers to our normal exercise routines, but that does not mean there aren’t tons of ways to get in some exercise. The fitness options just around one’s home are nearly endless; all it takes is the right outlook. These festive fitness opportunities all matter. A minute of standing up and sitting down is infinitely better than not doing anything. Climbing the stairs an extra time is infinitely better than doing nothing at all. Lifting up that strange box in the corner is infinitely better training for your muscles than staying still.
Every step counts, every minute matters, and everything you lift adds up. I encourage you this year to focus on what you can do over the holidays, and use the world around you for some fitness fun.
Until next time,
-Horton
